Genomics and Applied Biology 2026, Vol.17, No.1, 51-60 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/gab 55 significantly, the number of medium-sized tubers decreases, and the average weight of a single tuber decreases accordingly. In contrast, the treatment with an appropriate density is more stable. The proportion of medium-sized tubers is the highest, and both large and small tubers remain at a relatively reasonable level. The rate of marketable tubers also increases. Thus, it can be seen that whether the density is too sparse or too dense, it will affect the uniformity of the tuber size. A suitable density is more conducive to obtaining uniform tubers (Ierna et al., 2011; Zebarth et al., 2009). 4.3 The impact of high plant density on the incidence of abnormal tubers and small tubers When harvesting, simply looking at the ridge surface can reveal that once the density becomes too high, the problem is not merely that the potato tubers become smaller. In the densest treatment, deformities such as twisting and branching occurred much more frequently, and some tubers failed to develop properly, resulting in an increase in the number of small tubers. When the density is appropriate, the situation is relatively stable, with a lower proportion of deformed and small tubers, and the commercial tubers appear more regular. It is not necessarily the case that the denser the better; if planted too sparsely, small tubers are hardly seen, but the tubers often grow too large, increasing the risk of hollow interiors and other problems. Considering all these phenomena, controlling the density within an appropriate range is more conducive to reducing deformities and small tubers, and improving the overall commercial quality (Love et al., 1994; Ierna et al., 2011). 5 Optimization of Cultivation Management Measures under Intensive Planting Conditions 5.1 Optimal configuration of row and plant spacing In actual practice, if one wants to increase the density, merely increasing the number of plants is often ineffective. The ratio of row spacing and plant spacing is even more crucial. If the spacing is simply reduced, the field will soon become crowded and the growth conditions will deteriorate. The more common practice in production is to appropriately widen the row spacing, for example, from the original 60-70 cm to 80-90 cm. First, leave out the space for ventilation, light exposure and mechanical operations, and then reduce the plant spacing from 30 cm to 15-20 cm, increasing the number of plants within the row. After such adjustments, the plant distribution becomes more uniform and the land is used more efficiently. Some high-yield plots will further optimize the layout through methods such as double-row planting. In practice, as long as the row and plant spacing are arranged reasonably, dense planting and a favorable field environment are not contradictory (Li et al., 2019; Meng et al., 2025). 5.2 The regulatory effect of integrated water and fertilizer management on dense planting populations Under dense planting conditions, whether water and fertilizer can be managed properly often directly affects the final outcome. As the number of plants increases, water consumption in the field significantly rises. If water supply is not timely, the tuber expansion stage is prone to be affected. Therefore, it is necessary to arrange watering reasonably according to the growth process, maintaining neither excessive dryness nor excessive wetness of the soil. The same applies to nutrients. With increased density, the demand for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium increases accordingly. Fertilizing only once is often insufficient. In production, a sufficient amount of base fertilizer is usually applied first, followed by a small amount of multiple top-dressing fertilization during the middle growth stage, with a focus on supplementing nitrogen and potassium fertilizers. Integrating irrigation and fertilization can help improve utilization efficiency and make the growth of dense planting populations more balanced (Zebarth et al., 2018; Meng et al., 2025). 5.3 Risk management of pests, diseases and stubble flooding under dense planting conditions Under dense planting conditions, field management is often more meticulous than in conventional planting. With more plants, ventilation and light transmission conditions deteriorate, and the humidity increases. Late blight, early blight and other diseases are more likely to occur. Therefore, in production, it is usually necessary to take preventive measures in advance, such as selecting disease-resistant varieties, implementing reasonable rotation, and taking protective measures during the prone periods. Sometimes, pest problems can be more concealed.
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